"Oil was always present around Skomer through the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The annual reports for Skomer had a standard heading: 'The number of oiled birds seen around the island.'
My last significant contact with heavy, tarry oil was in 1980, when a load from an unidentifiable source washed ashore in South Haven. We spent several weeks trying as best we could to clear up the mess."
Skomer Island, Mike Alexander, 2021